Well guess what? It turns out dealing with the hydraulics right away would have been way easier, since I'm running into clearance issues with the mechanicals I'd never have imagined. (This is no fault of the Jones bars, rather it is the arbitrary and fickle nature of mountain bikes and there eleventy billion axle and wheel size "standards," not to mention brake brands and caliper shapes.) Rest assured however my determination is only increasing in the face of adversity, and while the end result certainly won't be pretty (I currently see some sort of "mullet" as the most likely workaround) it will hopefully be rideable.

Anyway, I'll report back once everything's in place and the bike has undergone a shakedown ride, though it's hard to say for certain when that will be. I guess I'll just have to keep you in suspense. Oh well, such is the nature of bike blogging and rigorous product testing.

In the meantime, I'm going to be on the Lifehacker podcast, The Upgrade, so you can spend your idle time formulating questions for me:

Not sure if this is your prob, but if you're having caliper & adapter clearance issues, look into Avid Post Spacer kits for your rotor size, if you haven't already. I usually keep a spare set or two around and last minute caliper/adapter swaps are never an issue. Or just get the right adapter. I'll shut up now.

The bars look good on Ol' Piney. Really appreciate the "action shot" with the allen wrenches on the ground. Really amps up the anticipation.

When/if this thing ever gets completed, will you please take a shot from the head-on view? Or from the rider's perspective looking down at the cockpit (heehee)? I'm curious to see the the bars vs. rider's knees. Thanks in advance.

On rear brake the BB7 cable fixing nut hits the seat stay. Will look into what you suggest but don't think it's a function of rotor size. I meantime a Tektro caliper I happened to have fits fine. (Yet its partner is unhappy up front, go figure.) Bring on the mullet!

The first commentard to your podcast article asked "Why do bikers think its acceptable to break traffic laws and how can we get them to stop? "

Fortunately some people with brains basically mocked "her" (more like "it"), and wrote "Why do motorists think its acceptable to break traffic laws and how can we get them to stop?"

Why do people continue to think bicyclists break the laws (which were all made by and for motorists) more often than motorists??? Especially when you consider exceeding the speed limit? Oh wait I know. Because motorists and their pathetic suck-ups are assholes!

I am currently racking my brain to see if there is some clever question that I could ask that would get you to get you to reveal #whatpressureyourunning without realizing it. There has got to be a way. The internet desperately needs this information. Our lives could literally depend on it.

Oh, and if you answer any question Snob (other than that of the aforementioned dog), please please please address the query of Stephen Andersen, who wants to know about shopping for surplus police bikes.

Por otro mano, and in the snotty tone of butthurt entitlement: "Why do pedestrians think its acceptable to -- walk through red lights in herds without even looking and giving shits about their own or anyone else's life -- and how can we get them to stop? "

For cars, the horn blows and the seas eventually part, but die konflict between the herds of ipod zombies and CitiBikers and also city cyclists gets much more varied and personal. It's all fun and games until some Mommy/Daddy thrusts the baby stroller out into the crosswalk like a blind person's cane and the kid gets ...

After shortening some hyrdaulic hoses and then bleeding the brakes I learned it's not a particularly difficult job. It might be easier and faster than what you are undertaking. On the other hand, doing it your way is only messy once (assuming you go back to the original hidrolic breaks).

Yes, I'm realizing that now. I was reluctant to do it since I didn't know how much experimentation I'd want to do with these bars and figured the mechanicals would give me more flexibility there. Anyway, it's done, and I may put those hide-rawlic brakes on another bike anyway.

I’d love for there to be a podcast of Leroy’s dog’s book club discussing Jane Austen in rap battle format.

As my mountain bike rides got longer and rougher, my ever older wrists were telling me to get front suspension. My wrists turned out to be right. However, the Jones bar seems an intriguing alternative for any determined not to go squishy.

I will never get used to the focus on cyclists' adherence to traffic laws. especially in New York. 1) everybody breaks the law here. There are bold jaywalkers. Double parkers. Taxis that will straddle multiple lanes in case one or the other starts to move much faster than the other. And I don't complain, because within safe limits, I'm going to bend or break the rules to suit my own convenience as well but people are just so hypocritical about it. A few weeks ago a lady crossing mid block started to mouth off about the light being red and I said (you guys know I'm mouthy in the saddle) "bitch, save that speech for when you're in a crosswalk." 2) No one knows the law. This was a few years ago. I was heading south on Central Park West and a woman was walking in the street. I was kind of toodle-pooting behind her to the light when she turns and says, "the bike lane is on the other side of the street." WITH FULL CONFIDENCE. I was like, "you're telling me that you think I am required to ride against traffic?" "Well, that's the bike lane." So when people talk about cyclists breaking laws, I wonder what percentage of what they're talking about is perfectly legal.

what fun would driving, biking or walking be without breaking a few laws along the way but with some caution. how is it possible to drive in new york without blowing a gasket anyway. depends on #whatpressureareyourunning. please, i only need half the truth like say half the pressure.

All these Anonymous bike setup experts sure are eager for you to be bent over, Snob. Also I didn’t realize that sweep bars could only be fit to rigid bikecycles. Guess my experiences with “alt bars” on suspended bikes have all been inviting expertly disdain. I’ve rocked several models of sweep bars on FS mtn bikes, old rigid MTBs and *gasp* even old road bikes. They work for all scenarios just like common sense would tell ya.

Snob, with respect I don't see how you were able to keep yourself to the Jones bars alone. I got interested in the Jones oeuvre after reading your post, went to the Jones site itself, and saw the selection of amazing RIGID bikes he designs and sells! The frames seem Amazingly well thought out to handle all kinds of riding in the woods, on the gravel and elsewhere. Some Jones owners providing reviews indicate it's their favorite bike, and, possibly, the only bike they need. For all their riding. Even on the road. I am intrigued, and since I have more room to store bikes than you do, am thinking of adding a Jones to my fleet. I really appreciate his thoughtful approach to what a bike should be able to do. His bikes seem to bear the same relation to other guys' designs as his bars do to the much-maligned drop bar. On a more general note, I Love your blog. I Rarely post. But Hey to all your regulars. Keep up the great, amusing work, and the comments thereon. Scranus. There, I said it.

About Me

While I love cycling and embrace it in all its forms, I'm also extremely critical. So I present to you my venting for your amusement and betterment. No offense meant to the critiqued. Always keep riding!